Puppy training going backwards

Need help with 11month old border terrier. She's started doing poo in the night since she spent a week in kennels. Little parcel for me on kitchen floor in the morning.

She always wakes v early, about 6 am but recently this is happening. She's fed twice a day at 8am and 4pm dry food. Has 2 or 3 walks a day and a whiz round block before bedtime. Not sure what to do next. If any of you pet lovers can help would be grateful or point me to a website that is good for doggie advice.

Comments

  • GSDMum
    GSDMum Posts: 211 Forumite
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    edited 19 August 2019 at 7:44AM
    Difficult to know what's going on with her.

    If I were you, while you're cleaning up don't speak or look at her, completely ignore her.

    When your out with her and she does her business, make a fuss of her, while you're picking up tell her she's a good girl in an excited way, and give her a treat. If a ball is her 'thing' then throw her that. Ours doesn't get his ball unless he's done what he has to do.

    You can teach a dog to poo and piddle on command, while she's doing her business keep repeating a word for it, it'll soon become a 'trigger' word. We say 'Rusty pee-pee, pee-pee Rusty'. He now does what he has to do on command, and of course he gets to have his ball when he's done his business. Teaching 'trigger words' really does help when it's raining and time's short.

    Positive training and patience really does pay off. Good luck!
  • ceewash
    ceewash Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    Thank you. I have always tried to do this. Wondered if it was something to do with feeding regime. Worried that it has just become a habit for her and she thinks its ok.
  • WE always let our dog in the garden just before bed and don't let him back in until he's done his business.

    He soon got into the habit knowing he can't come back in until he's been :)

    We use the term "Hurry up" but you just need to be consistent with dogs.

    Sounds like he may have done it in his cage in kennels. We never put ours in kennels, preferring to leave him with friends or dog boarders.
  • ceewash
    ceewash Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    Possibly the kennels spoiled the routine. We were very happy with the kennels as we have no-one to leave her with and cannot use boarders until fully housetrained. Even like last night when she had done her business on her last walk she still left a poo in the kitchen for me.
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 19,041 Forumite
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    You need to go back to puppy housetraining.

    You say she wakes about 6am When do you get up?

    Set your alarm for 5.30 and get up to let her out.

    If she has already been then getup at 5 am etc until you are getting up before she has been.

    Or sleep down beside her or bring her into the bedroom so you awake when she stirs and you can carry outside quickly

    I presume she is not crated as they very rarely foul their crate- although I had one who did.- so that might be a temporary solution .

    Look at why she may need to more often.

    What are you feeding her? If it is a food which has a lot of fillers that produces a lot of waste then consider a better quality food which produces less waste and therefore less poo.

    Is her poo solid or soft/runny to indicate digestion problem?
  • ceewash
    ceewash Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    Yes I did use this method to get her to sleep in until about 6.30. It's been a slow process and I haven't had a decent night's sleep since we got her. I have changed her food once and things were gradually improving. I think it was the kennels that set her back. So back to the drawing board. She sleeps in the kitchen, we got rid of the crate when she was 6 months old as we thought it had served it's purpose. I'm trying to reward her more when she goes in the garden but as she sometimes eats it we don't always know. Urghh!
  • Katiehound
    Katiehound Posts: 7,536 Forumite
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    I think it will be as a result of kennel stay since they can poo in the kennels rather than outside. Certainly my boy does this after a prolonged stay in kennels- he'll go on the hall runner!
    My girl wouldn't do such a thing!

    Firstly I walk a bit further (than normal) in the evening hoping the magic words 'be a clean boy' will do the trick.
    If that does not happen I block the bedroom door (he sleeps in bedroom) so that he can not sneak down the stairs alone to do the deed!

    So if there is a noise in the night it wakes me and we have a trail down to the garden.....and wait there until it happens.

    It happened rather more often when he was first house trained (as a 2 yo)
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  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 19,041 Forumite
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    You should always go out with her to toilet so you can praise her immediately, in the place where she goes. She will then learn to go in the one place.

    It also means you can prevent her eating it by rewarding her. leading her away and then clearing it up.

    Puppies are hard work. Would you expect a baby of 11 months to be toilet trained.

    I would suggest you reintroduce the crate. My pups are crated until they are 18 months. After 12 months I close the door but don't lock it.
  • ceewash
    ceewash Posts: 1,341 Forumite
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    UPDATE. I set alarm for 6am and she's still asleep in her basket now (6.45am). So result there. Not sure it will always happen. Spent yesterday rewarding every piddle and poo. Her treat of choice is a tiny piece of cheese. However she was sick last night. So I think that's why she's still asleep. And she had a big day out yesterday.
    Rethinking her treats today.
    Her food is Royal Canin dry Mini adult. Any thoughts on that? I give her about 120g a day in 2 halves. I don't think she's overfed.

    The crate has gone now, she just sleeps in the kitchen under the table.
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
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    It would be best to have the vet check your dog over to make sure there is not an underlying physical reason for the change in toileting habits.
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
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